From Exile to Invitation: Finding Our Place in Isaiah’s Song

[00:05:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Good morning church let's stand to our feet and worship this morning before we begin I just want to remind you
[00:06:03] That we church have been called into the greatest love story of all time.
[00:06:07] The God of the universe has set his eyes on us in love and he would rather give himself than to live eternally without us.
[00:06:15] And our response to that this morning is where our worship begins.

[00:06:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
So let's respond together this morning.

[00:06:55] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
God, I'm just grateful for you
[00:07:48] God, I'm just grateful for you God, I'm just grateful for you All my life you've been right here by my side God, I'm just grateful for you God, I'm just grateful for you
[00:08:22] I'm lifting both of my hands Cause you gave me chance after chance after chance And I I'm giving all that I am Cause you gave me chance after chance after chance And I
[00:08:47] I'm just grateful for you
[00:09:44] If they say I'm out of my mind, God, I'm just grateful for you.
[00:09:51] God, I'm just grateful for you.

[00:10:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Good morning everybody, welcome to the Church of Mooresville where our mission is loving God, loving people, and making disciples.
[00:10:07] As we begin our time of worship today, please join me for a word of prayer.
[00:10:11] Heavenly Father, we thank you, Lord, and we glorify you, Christ and Holy Spirit.
[00:10:14] We bid you come and fill this place as we worship you.
[00:10:18] Father, we thank you for the gift of the gospel, the gift of Jesus Christ, and how you have changed our lives forever.
[00:10:25] So Father, should the world say that we are out of my mind, help us to just have that spirit of boldness to say, I don't care.
[00:10:33] If only you knew how Christ has changed me, how Christ has loved me.
[00:10:37] and nothing else ever matters nothing else ever will matter so today that is who we elevate we elevate Jesus the lover of our hearts the redeemers of our souls and we praise you Lord for only you are worthy you who created us wonderfully and fearfully we thank you Lord Jesus please receive our worship and time together today it's in your most holy name we all pray and say amen let us continue in worship

[00:11:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Who am I that the highest King would welcome me?
[00:11:23] I was lost but He brought me, I know His love for me
[00:11:26] Oh, His love for me Through the sun sets free Oh, it's free indeed I'm a child of God Yes, I am Free at last He has ransomed me His grace runs deep
[00:11:55] While I was a slave to sin, Jesus died for me.
[00:12:20] Yes, He died for me.
[00:12:20] The Son sets free.
[00:12:20] Oh, He's free in me.
[00:12:21] I'm a child of God.

[00:12:21] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Yes, I am.

[00:12:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
There's a place for me I'm a child of God, yes I am I am chosen, not forsaken I am who you say I am
[00:12:46] You are for me, not against me I am who you say I am I am chosen, not forsaken I am who you say I am
[00:13:01] You want for me, not against me I am who you say I am Oh, I am who you say I am The sun sets free Oh, it's free indeed I'm a child of God Yes, I am
[00:13:30] In my Father's house there's a place for me I'm a child of God, yes I am In my Father's house there's a place for me I'm a child of God, yes I am

[00:14:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
So I've been meditating on a little quote that I heard a couple of months ago.
[00:14:09] The quote says this, If we as a church will call upon the name of the Lord, He has promised in His word that He will answer us.
[00:14:19] And he's also promised in his word that he will bring the unsaved to himself and that he'll pour out his spirit among us.
[00:14:27] And church, I want to remind us this morning that we need the spirit of God.
[00:14:30] We cannot have religion without the spirit of God.
[00:14:33] Our families need the spirit of God, our church, our city, our nation.
[00:14:39] And we're going to spend a little time right now pushing back on the darkness and calling on the name of the true and living God in this place.

[00:15:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
I'm calling on the God of Jacob Whose love endures through generations I know that you will keep your covenant I'm calling on the God of Moses
[00:15:27] The one who opened up the oceans I need you now to do the same thing for me For me, for me Come on church, let's sing this together Oh God, my God, I need you Oh God, my God, I need you now How I need you
[00:16:02] of Ages.

[00:16:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
I'm standing on your faithfulness, on your faithfulness.
[00:16:27] I'm calling on the God of Mary.
[00:16:27] I'm calling on the God of Mary, whose favor rests upon the
[00:16:32] I know with you all things are possible Come on church, let's declare that I'm calling on the God of David Who made a shepherd boy courageous

[00:16:51] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
I may not face Goliath, but I've got my own giant Oh God, my God, I need you Oh God, my God, I need you now
[00:17:14] I'm standing on your faithfulness On your faithfulness Let's sing that again Oh God, my God, I need you Oh God, my God, I need you now How I need you now Oh rock, oh rock of ages I'm standing on your faithfulness
[00:17:51] You heard your children then You hear your children now You are the same God You are the same God You answered prayers back then And You will answer
[00:18:20] You are the same God You are providing then You are providing now You are the same God You are the same God You moved in power then God moved in power
[00:18:48] You are the Savior You are a healer then You are a healer now You are the Savior You are the Savior You are a Savior then You are a Savior now You are the Savior
[00:19:19] Oh God, my God, I need you now How I need you now Oh rock, oh rock of ages I'm standing on your faithfulness

[00:19:50] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
I'm calling on the Holy Spirit I'm calling on the Holy Spirit Almighty river come and fill me again Come and fill me again Come and fill me again

[00:20:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
Amen.
[00:20:24] Please have a seat.
[00:20:26] I want to express gratitude.
[00:20:27] Laura's stepping in as interim.
[00:20:29] If you look up on stage, half of the folks are in-house, and we're grateful for them using their gifts.
[00:20:35] And she had some guests, special guests with her this morning as well.
[00:20:37] So if you see them after the service, make sure to express gratitude.
[00:20:41] And Laura has an announcement for us.
[00:20:42] I'm going to turn the mic over to her.

[00:20:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Good morning church.
[00:20:47] First of all I just want to say thank you so very much for making my first little bit of time here so welcoming.
[00:20:52] You guys have been very encouraging as I get started.
[00:20:54] I have two things on the agenda as we get going.
[00:20:57] One is to reach out into our congregation and see if any
[00:21:01] Is anyone sitting on some hidden talents?
[00:21:03] Like perhaps you've been playing electric guitar but only in your closet?
[00:21:07] I don't know.
[00:21:08] I would like to welcome you if you have gifts that are musical, whether you play keyboard, electric, acoustic drums, singing, whatever the case may be.
[00:21:17] We have some musicians but I'm working them around the clock.
[00:21:20] So I would love to know who's out there in the congregation.
[00:21:23] My email is in the bulletin.
[00:21:24] We can chat after service, or you can reach out to me in the bulletin, or sorry, on email.
[00:21:29] So that's the first thing I'd like to do.
[00:21:30] The second thing I'd like to do is some team building and some training.
[00:21:33] So you might be thinking, hey, I'd love to play or sing, but I just haven't in a while, or I'm just not at that place yet.
[00:21:40] And that'll be the second thing on my agenda is to provide some opportunities for that.
[00:21:43] So in both of those cases, I would love to get to know you.
[00:21:46] Please feel free to reach out, introduce yourself, let me know where you're at, and we can go from there.
[00:21:51] Thank you.

[00:21:55] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
One thing I want to express gratitude.
[00:21:57] I was able to take a study leave this week.
[00:21:59] Moses is preaching today.
[00:22:00] I'm grateful for his giftedness.
[00:22:02] He already delivered once this morning.
[00:22:04] And I was able to map out messages all the way through June 28th.
[00:22:08] So it allows you to kind of recharge a little bit and then get back at it.
[00:22:13] So thank you, Moses.
[00:22:14] I did want to bring before you, we are working on a legacy campaign.
[00:22:21] and for decades this church we've always been a church that fixes things that break but we also have been a church that will kick the can on just actually addressing everything in advance so the Christian ed building obviously this building was revitalized just a few years back and we did a capital campaign that looks beautiful in the coffee shop and all that but over there
[00:22:43] We really have some work to do.
[00:22:45] So there are two phases.
[00:22:46] Phase one is a $1.85 million project.
[00:22:51] We had pledged Sunday on December 7th, and what came in on that Sunday was $1.4 million of pledges.
[00:22:59] I want to express gratitude.
[00:23:02] Yes.
[00:23:06] and with some of the funds we already have we would be at 1.75 million we're 10 000 away from phase one so if you feel like you you know if you've been contemplating and praying actually the next ten thousand dollars makes uh it is a big deal every little bit counts and so uh and with that what which has been raised uh
[00:23:31] in hand so we can begin the work.
[00:23:34] And there's some really neat things.
[00:23:36] We have a preschool that meets there.
[00:23:38] We have programming during the week.
[00:23:39] The sanctuary needs some extra attention.
[00:23:41] The roof, things like that.
[00:23:42] So we're going to get going.
[00:23:44] We have one last vision team meeting.
[00:23:46] I want to thank Zach.
[00:23:48] We have a team that we're going to meet once more to really prioritize what we've committed to, to get that work started, and then we'll keep you all in the loop on what's happening.
[00:24:00] And it's much more about, this isn't about bricks and mortar, this is about facilitating ministry and making an impact on the lives from cradle to grave, from preschool all the way up to our seniors.
[00:24:13] A couple announcements I'll highlight.
[00:24:15] Tuesday we have our Saints Alive event.
[00:24:17] If you know Bob Ammon, he's going to be presenting.
[00:24:20] He's the voice that does the football games here in Mooresville.
[00:24:24] He also owns the building on the corner, Epic, the restaurant.
[00:24:26] He's the owner of those buildings.
[00:24:28] You've probably seen the Bob Ammon building.
[00:24:30] Well, he is fascinated with the circus.
[00:24:33] And he has some collections that are fascinating.
[00:24:36] And if you come for lunch on Tuesday, he'll then give you this presentation.
[00:24:40] I've seen the presentation before.
[00:24:42] It's very fascinating.
[00:24:43] He's really into this stuff.
[00:24:45] So you would need to reserve this $10 lunch.
[00:24:50] I thought I saw Clark here.
[00:24:51] Is Clark, maybe he was in?
[00:24:53] Yeah, Clark, do we know what's on the menu for lunch?
[00:25:06] He is a chef, he knows what he's doing, so $10 is suggested.
[00:25:12] If money is an issue, just reserve on Monday, come join us.
[00:25:17] We view the Saints Alive as our seniors, but you can be any age if you're available on Tuesday and want to join us.
[00:25:24] And as we continue in worship, next Sunday, I'm sorry, that was the last announcement, next Sunday there's a congregational meeting after the 1115 service.
[00:25:36] The purpose is to present our elders approved a budget for this upcoming year that will be presented next Sunday after the 1115 service.
[00:25:45] Let's now join our hearts together as we come before the Lord in prayer.
[00:25:55] Heavenly Father, it's good to slow down.
[00:25:58] Our focus this morning is you.
[00:26:01] As we sang these praise songs, we did so to
[00:26:05] To express our love for you, to lift up your name, to glorify you.
[00:26:10] Lord, you're the reason we exist.
[00:26:13] Lord, we are grateful for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ, a major theme this morning in the message from Isaiah.
[00:26:21] We thank you for who he is, what he's done on our behalf.
[00:26:25] Lord, we worship you in your fullness.
[00:26:28] Lord, we do pause for a moment to confess our sins to you quietly.
[00:26:40] Lord, we claim that promise when we confess our sins, you're faithful to forgive and cleanse us of all wrongdoing.
[00:26:49] Lord, I thank you for the gifts within this church congregation, some that are used towards worship, others that use those gifts towards working with our young people, children, youth, others for missions.
[00:27:02] Lord, we thank you that it's not an either-or, simply
[00:27:06] Giving our hearts to the Mooresville community, that's important, and we do.
[00:27:10] We pray for the Christian mission, we pray for places like Feed NC, but we're also grateful for the global vision that this church has.
[00:27:20] Lord, the missionaries being supported around the world, people in this congregation engaging and being sent out cradle to grave.
[00:27:29] What a blessing that you desire not only to set that vision, but to work in and through us to be part of that.
[00:27:37] Yes, we're broken.
[00:27:39] Yes, we're flawed.
[00:27:40] But Lord, you choose to work through us, broken vessels, to share your light with the world.
[00:27:47] Lord, it's hard to turn on the television or go online without just seeing the tragic things happening, not only across the globe, but here at home.
[00:27:57] And Lord, we pray for your church.
[00:27:59] We know as far off as Iran where Christianity is spreading, we know that it's illegal to be a Christian.
[00:28:05] We know that they're offline.
[00:28:07] We know there's a lot of violence and hurt and pain.
[00:28:09] And Lord, we pray for your church that they'll continue to be a light, agents of healing and reconciliation.
[00:28:17] We pray for those that are in the thick of the storm.
[00:28:19] We pray for Minnesota, Minneapolis, what's taking place on the streets there.
[00:28:24] Lord, may your church be a presence there as well.
[00:28:28] Again, there's hurt, there's pain, there's death, there's fighting.
[00:28:32] Lord, as we represent you, we do so with deep conviction, but also a Christ-like spirit.
[00:28:41] Lord, may we not also underestimate the power of prayer.
[00:28:45] There are folks that would love to be right there in the midst, in the thick of things, and Lord, may we be aware of our setting.
[00:28:52] Lord, what good is it to be out in the world if we're not agents of peace within our own household, or within our own workplace, or within our own church?
[00:29:01] So Lord, may we start at home, be faithful to you.
[00:29:06] Yes, we're broken, but we do so in your grace.
[00:29:09] And Lord, may we also venture out, being led by your vision and your guidance.
[00:29:17] Lord, I pray for the person here that may be hurting, that may feel disillusioned,
[00:29:23] It may feel trapped or stuck or anxious.
[00:29:28] Lord, you're a God of healing and wholeness.
[00:29:31] Lord, may that person, may any of us not turn to you as a last resort, but may we come to you first.
[00:29:39] May we trust that you're in control.
[00:29:41] May we trust that you not only make a difference, but you care for us deeply.
[00:29:48] Help us to be big picture people.
[00:29:50] Sometimes we get so absorbed in our own problems and our own situation and we try to do it on our own.
[00:29:56] May we realize victory has already been won.
[00:30:00] May we find our identity in you.
[00:30:03] May we find our strength in you.
[00:30:05] May we find our healing in you.
[00:30:07] This morning I lift up Moses, Pastor Moses, who will be presenting your word.
[00:30:12] Please speak in and through him powerfully by the ministry of your Holy Spirit.
[00:30:17] And through it, may we be blessed.
[00:30:19] For some in the room, there may need to be a conviction.
[00:30:22] For others in the room, there may be just reassurance.
[00:30:28] Lord, may we allow your Spirit to work in our hearts.
[00:30:31] As we continue in worship, we claim that prayer that Jesus taught his disciples.
[00:30:35] We offer it with one voice.
[00:30:37] Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
[00:30:42] Thy kingdom come.
[00:30:43] Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
[00:30:47] Give us this day our daily bread.
[00:30:50] Forgive us our sins as we forgive our debtors.
[00:30:53] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
[00:30:58] For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
[00:31:02] Amen.

[00:31:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
and Amen.
[00:31:26] Today we're going to be talking about Isaiah 49.
[00:31:28] It's the second Suffering Servant song.
[00:31:32] Pastor Dave preached on Isaiah 42 last week.
[00:31:35] But today we're going to try to take a different perspective with it.
[00:31:38] And in beginning, I will ask us this question.
[00:31:42] Have you ever experienced something painful, something grieving, something hard, and someone says the words, Hey, it's all going to work out.
[00:31:51] Or, Hey, don't worry, God has a plan.
[00:31:52] Have you ever experienced anything like that?
[00:31:54] I recall a time where my grandmother, like many years ago in 2007, passed away, and I was just a kid.
[00:32:01] And of course, as a kid, you don't understand death, you don't understand loss, and then I would have people from church, family, saying, Moses, don't worry, she's in a better place, everything's going to be fine, or don't worry, God had a plan, this is going according to plan.
[00:32:13] And I'm just thinking, but my grandma's gone.
[00:32:16] Explain that to me.
[00:32:19] Then many years later after that, during COVID days, and you know, I co-grieve and sympathize for any who have lost anyone during COVID.
[00:32:28] It's a stressful time for all of us, but there was a pastor, her name was Claudia Beth.
[00:32:32] She was a mentor in my life, a powerful woman of God.
[00:32:36] She was the one who would speak at men's conferences, you know, and men would be crying full of spirit, just blessed, and she was just a friend to me and my family.
[00:32:45] she suddenly fell ill went to the hospital she was dying and because it was COVID no one was being allowed to go in and see her and i was all the way in seminary the only person who got to be with her not even her husband was my mom and my mom got to be with her and pray with her and she told me everything that happened before she passed and here i am thinking in seminary god i don't understand what's going on but why her like why did she deserve to die this way in my flesh like there are so many others who deserve to die that way but
[00:33:16] Why this person, you know?
[00:33:19] So, when people say those things, depending on where you are in life, it can almost feel cruel.
[00:33:24] You know, I had friends that were saying, Moses, don't worry though, like, she was a pastor, she's in got a better place, but I'm like, yeah, but, you know, so, anyway.
[00:33:33] It can feel cruel because it just feels out of reach when those words are being said.
[00:33:37] And today, I hope Isaiah 49 can kind of reach and speak to most of us in this room today, at least.
[00:33:44] Because it is spoken to a people that have experienced conquest, domination, exile.
[00:33:50] It is not a poem that has been spoken to people in the most highest of their life and in joyful times, successful times.
[00:33:58] We'll see that it is written to a people that have been removed from their home.
[00:34:02] Their sense identity has been torn, their temple, their place of worship destroyed.
[00:34:07] All these things and into that sphere, into that world is when God speaks through the prophet Isaiah.
[00:34:15] So, hear now the word of the Lord from Isaiah chapter 49 verses 1 through 7.
[00:34:22] Listen to me, O coastlands.
[00:34:24] Pay attention, you peoples from far away.
[00:34:28] The Lord called me before I was born.
[00:34:30] While I was in my mother's womb, he named me.
[00:34:34] He made my mouth like a sharp sword.
[00:34:36] In the shadow of his hand, he hid me.
[00:34:38] He made me a polished arrow, and in his quiver, he hid me away.
[00:34:43] He said to me, You are my Lord, in whom I will be glorified.
[00:34:48] But I said, I have labored in vain.
[00:34:52] I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity.
[00:34:56] Yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and my reward with my God.
[00:35:01] And now the Lord says, Who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, that Israel might be gathered to him.
[00:35:10] For I am honored in the sight of the Lord, and my God has become my strength.
[00:35:14] He says, It is too light a thing that you should be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel.
[00:35:23] I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.
[00:35:30] Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and His Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers, kings shall see and stand up, princes and they shall prostrate themselves because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.
[00:35:53] This is the word of the Lord.
[00:35:55] And thanks be to God.
[00:35:57] Heavenly Father, just please be with us now in this moment as we enter into your word.
[00:36:01] And Holy Spirit, have your way with us today.
[00:36:04] Amen.
[00:36:06] If we want to appreciate what was just said here in Isaiah,
[00:36:10] The invitation for us today and for me when I was studying this is to look and remember the bigger story.
[00:36:17] See, God chose Israel not because they were the strongest or they were the most impressive.
[00:36:22] Actually, in Deuteronomy 7, God is telling the people through Moses, you're actually the smallest of all countries and nations.
[00:36:30] But the reason I chose you is it says in the word, because I loved you, had a plan for you.
[00:36:37] From the beginning with Abraham, God made a promise.
[00:36:41] Three nations would be what?
[00:36:43] Blessed.
[00:36:44] Israel was never meant to be God's private club.
[00:36:48] Israel was meant to be a conduit.
[00:36:50] People through whom the world would come to know the Creator God and be blessed by Him.
[00:36:56] God rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt.
[00:36:59] At Sinai, he gave them the law, a law that was never meant to crush them, but a law that was meant to shape them into people of justice, of mercy, of faithfulness.
[00:37:09] Exodus chapter 19 says they were meant to be a kingdom of priests who would represent God to the world.
[00:37:18] But does the story go well?
[00:37:21] No.
[00:37:23] Over generations, Israel worships other gods.
[00:37:25] They trust alliances and power more than the Lord.
[00:37:28] They actually end up exploiting the vulnerable, the poor, the needy, the orphan, the widow, more than the nations all around them.
[00:37:36] They do what is right in their own eyes.
[00:37:39] So over the years, God sends prophets, Isaiah included, and they warn Israel, if you keep going down this path, if you keep making these decisions, there will be consequences.
[00:37:50] Judgment will come.
[00:37:52] and eventually it does.
[00:37:54] It comes in the form of Assyria who besieges Jerusalem and Israel and then it comes in the form of Babylon completely destroying the nation.
[00:38:03] Jerusalem, the holy city is destroyed, the temple is burned down, people are killed or carried away to Babylon and they have been scattered, humiliated, disoriented.
[00:38:13] But a question that I wonder is like, well, I guess they go to exile and that's it, right?
[00:38:19] God must have abandoned them.
[00:38:22] But it is important to clarify for us today that them going to exile is not God abandoning them.
[00:38:29] Exile is judgment, yes, that is important for us to know, but it's also discipline.
[00:38:34] God is faithful and he loves them too much to allow his own people to destroy themselves.
[00:38:41] Them going off to Babylon is actually God refusing to give up on his covenant because while they're there, he's still fulfilling his purposes and his plan.
[00:38:51] So the question then becomes, what if exile is not the end of Israel's calling?
[00:38:58] The crucible, the refining fire where God reforms and reshapes the hearts of his people.
[00:39:05] Isaiah 49 is a poem, it's a song being sung, and it's not just a song that's floating in the abstract.
[00:39:12] It's being spoken to a real people, enduring real pain, real grief, real failure.
[00:39:19] And God's people are not hearing this while they're standing tall.
[00:39:22] They're hearing it after the fall of their glorious kingdom and their home.
[00:39:27] So in this poem, the servant begins speaking.
[00:39:31] But what's really hard from the perspective of any Hebrew hearing this poem is that the speaker is not addressing Israel.
[00:39:39] Actually, he's speaking to the nations beyond Israel.
[00:39:41] He says, Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you people from far away.
[00:39:47] Now, Pastor Dave kind of hinted at it last week, but I'll remind us, whenever he refers to the coastlands, he's referring to the nations that would be beyond any map Israel would have had.
[00:39:58] It's the nations that Israel feared, envied, negotiated, fought against.
[00:40:02] The coastlands and the islands would also imply he's speaking to Israel's enemies, like Babylon.
[00:40:11] And the twist in this poem is that as the nations are being addressed, Israel in the background is meant to be listening.
[00:40:18] As God is speaking outward, his wounded people are meant to be overhearing it.
[00:40:23] And imagine being a Jew as you are hearing this prophecy, this poem, this song.
[00:40:28] You're sitting in shame, looking at the fortresses in the kingdom of your enemy, trying to remember what your faith even meant, and here comes the prophet speaking for God to the world about you.
[00:40:43] And not condemning them.
[00:40:45] Not warning them of their coming judgment or condemnation, instead announcing hope.
[00:40:53] And then the servant goes on to say, The Lord called me before I was born.
[00:40:56] He named me.
[00:40:57] He hid me.
[00:40:58] He prepared me.
[00:41:00] The language is not accidental.
[00:41:04] This mission is deliberate.
[00:41:06] It's personal.
[00:41:07] It's a plan that's been in motion longer than anyone knew.
[00:41:11] But in the middle of that purpose and calling, the sermon says something very interesting.
[00:41:16] I've labored in vain.
[00:41:17] I've spent my strength for nothing.
[00:41:20] It's vanity.
[00:41:22] It's the voice of someone who knows what it is to do what God asks and still feel like it didn't work.
[00:41:28] The voice of someone who tried to speak, tried to act, tried to call people back and got silence, resistance, maybe even rejection.
[00:41:37] And so if Israel is overhearing this, wouldn't you think that they're going to empathize with that?
[00:41:43] And say, yeah, that's us.
[00:41:44] We were called, and we failed.
[00:41:47] We were chosen, but we wandered.
[00:41:50] We were given a mission from God, and we squandered it.
[00:41:56] But in this poem, the servant does not spiral.
[00:41:58] He doesn't quit.
[00:41:59] He doesn't bitterly accuse God.
[00:42:01] What does he say?
[00:42:03] He says, yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and my reward is with my God.
[00:42:11] It may be a simple lie, but it's everything.
[00:42:14] It's a demonstration of having trust without visible results.
[00:42:18] It's a demonstration of faithfulness without applause or recognition.
[00:42:21] It's having obedience without immediate success.
[00:42:26] And then God speaks, and I think this is the heart of this passage.
[00:42:30] It is too light a thing for you to restore Israel only.
[00:42:35] I will give you as a light to the nations that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.
[00:42:42] Now pause and feel the weight of that if you are one of the original hearers.
[00:42:47] Israel is broken, scattered, can barely imagine being restored, and restoration here, God says, is not the finish line, it's just the beginning.
[00:42:58] The calling is bigger than survival.
[00:43:00] It's bigger than getting back to normal.
[00:43:01] It's bigger than just returning to your land and rebuilding your wonderful temple.
[00:43:06] God's vision is that his salvation would reach the ends of the earth.
[00:43:12] But Isaiah 49 then becomes emotionally complicated for Israel because then they have to wrestle with this tension.
[00:43:20] On the one hand, the servant sounds like Israel's calling.
[00:43:24] On the other hand, Israel knows they have failed that calling.
[00:43:28] On this hand, they were meant to be a light, a kingdom of priests, a people through whom the nations would know Yahweh.
[00:43:37] And on this hand, they didn't just make mistakes, they broke covenant with the living God.
[00:43:43] You might say there are some consequences to doing that.
[00:43:46] They worshiped other gods.
[00:43:47] They copied the nations instead of leading them and blessing them.
[00:43:50] They absorbed darkness instead of shining.
[00:43:53] And the Bible says in the story of the kings, they actually committed more atrocities than any of the nations around them.
[00:44:03] So in this poem, it sounds like there's an invitation to Israel being reissued.
[00:44:09] And yet I'm forced to ask the question, can Israel actually do that?
[00:44:14] Can they really, with their track record, become a light to the world?
[00:44:19] Can a people who keep reaching for power learn the posture of a servant?
[00:44:25] And here, Isaiah does not resolve it.
[00:44:28] He kind of leaves it hanging.
[00:44:31] And then it ends with this servant being deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, a slave of rulers.
[00:44:38] But weirdly, kings will stand up, princes will bow down, the nations will change on behalf of this person, this representative, this servant.
[00:44:49] And Isaiah doesn't say how.
[00:44:52] But it's just a beautiful passage that speaks hope without it being a pithy saying.
[00:44:57] It makes you think.
[00:44:59] It challenges the heart.
[00:45:00] God's plan is real.
[00:45:01] The mission is real.
[00:45:02] There will be real opposition.
[00:45:04] Who then is this servant?
[00:45:07] Who will bring restoration?
[00:45:08] Who will bring redemption?
[00:45:10] Is it Israel?
[00:45:11] Will they arise from the moment?
[00:45:13] Is it a faithful remnant in Israel?
[00:45:16] Is it someone to come?
[00:45:17] Is it another Moses, another Elijah, maybe another David or another king?
[00:45:23] But then we ask as we read it, looking back in hindsight, who could actually carry Israel's calling without collapsing under it?
[00:45:33] Who could bear the light without being swallowed by the darkness?
[00:45:37] Isaiah does not answer it.
[00:45:39] At least not yet.
[00:45:40] And that's, I think, where we are invited to sit here for a moment.
[00:45:46] Because that's where Israel had to sit.
[00:45:48] Many, many of us hear God's calling knowing that His mission and His purposes for us is beautiful and yet we also know ourselves, our decisions, our acts, our choices, maybe the things that have led you here today, good or bad.
[00:46:05] And we all know what we are like when pressure hits, so the question is, who we will be when that time comes.
[00:46:13] We'll get back to that.
[00:46:15] But for now, back to the story.
[00:46:17] Centuries pass.
[00:46:18] It's 500 to 600 years later.
[00:46:20] Empires have risen and fallen.
[00:46:22] Babylon fell to Persia.
[00:46:24] Persia fell to Greece.
[00:46:25] Greece fell to Rome.
[00:46:27] And somewhere in that time period, Israel returned back to Jerusalem, into their homeland, but they just found different oppressors, a different sort of exile.
[00:46:37] They rebuilt their temple, but it no longer had the glory of God, and they still had their word and the promises of God, but each one just seeming empty and unfulfilled.
[00:46:48] They're still waiting.
[00:46:50] Isaiah's song is still waiting for its answer, its resolution.
[00:46:55] Then enters the Gospel of Luke.
[00:46:57] And I particularly love this gospel because he always includes some details that at first glance we don't know why it's in the story.
[00:47:05] Like Simeon.
[00:47:06] Maybe some of you might remember Simeon in chapter 2.
[00:47:10] He's an old man hanging out in the temple.
[00:47:12] Picture a camera in a movie where it's floating over Israel and it just zooms in to this old guy lost, just wandering around like, what's going to happen with this guy?
[00:47:23] Luke describes him as faithful, he's righteous, he's devout.
[00:47:27] Not powerful, not important, just faithful and present.
[00:47:31] But he says that this man was looking forward to the consolation of Israel.
[00:47:36] And consolation is the same word for comfort that Isaiah uses over and over again.
[00:47:43] The word of Israel is coming in the form of a servant.
[00:47:47] And so Simeon, just in prayer, waiting, why does God lead me here today?
[00:47:52] And then one ordinary day, this poor family, a father named Joseph, a mother named Mary, and an infant son named Jesus, come into the temple.
[00:48:00] And they're there because it's the law of Moses.
[00:48:03] You know, once your child reaches a certain age, you bring them in and dedicate them at the temple.
[00:48:08] But when Simeon sees this child, something breaks open in his heart.
[00:48:13] The Holy Spirit leads him forward.
[00:48:15] He takes Jesus up in his arms, and Simeon begins to speak, not just his own words, but words soaked in Scripture.
[00:48:22] He says, Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.
[00:48:36] A light for the Gentiles.
[00:48:38] That line is straight out of Isaiah 49.
[00:48:41] and if just in case Gentiles and Nations is the same word in the Greek.
[00:48:46] What Isaiah is saying in exile Simeon is now holding in his hands.
[00:48:52] Simeon does not say that Israel has been replaced.
[00:48:54] He doesn't say that the old promises of God don't matter anymore.
[00:48:57] He doesn't mention or imply that Isaiah was just a metaphor.
[00:49:01] He's saying here in the flesh is the salvation that God has promised.
[00:49:06] This is the light Isaiah spoke of.
[00:49:09] This is the glory that Israel has been longing for.
[00:49:11] In other words, in Jesus, he does not cancel Israel's calling.
[00:49:19] What is being declared here, even as a little boy, is that he is the fulfillment of Israel's calling.
[00:49:26] He will step fully into it, and everything that Isaiah described about the servant suddenly has a face.
[00:49:33] Called from the womb, hidden for a time, prepared before anyone noticed, speaking words that cut through hearts, misunderstood, rejected, faithful, even when it ended up looking like failure.
[00:49:47] Jesus lives Israel's calling, her vocation, perfectly.
[00:49:52] Where Israel trusted power, Jesus empties himself.
[00:49:56] Where Israel absorbed the darkness, Jesus entered it without being corrupted.
[00:50:02] Where Israel struggled to love its enemies, Jesus gave himself for them.
[00:50:08] Through his obedience, his life, his death, his resurrection, God's salvation actually reaches the nations.
[00:50:16] What looked like defeat becomes the turning point of history.
[00:50:20] And Paul put it powerfully and beautifully in Colossians 1.
[00:50:23] I wish I could quote the whole passage but just succinctly.
[00:50:26] It says, In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.
[00:50:31] And through him God was pleased to reconcile all things to himself, making peace through the blood of the cross of Christ.
[00:50:42] Jesus shows us in his life, in his death, what the servant always meant.
[00:50:48] Not domination, not moral superiority, but a faithful obedience that trusts God completely, even when the cost is high, because the healing of the world was worth it.
[00:51:02] But if we stop there, we might be tempted to say, Amen.
[00:51:06] Jesus, you did it.
[00:51:07] Praise God.
[00:51:08] You did it so that I don't have to.
[00:51:11] But some of us who have lived and prayed and followed Christ long enough, we might say it's not just Jesus did something, he modeled something, right?
[00:51:21] And Luke also does not stop there.
[00:51:24] The story keeps going.
[00:51:26] Simeon's words are the beginning of a story of Jesus' life.
[00:51:30] He grows up, Jesus is teaching, he's healing, he's announcing the kingdom of God.
[00:51:34] He gathers followers, not the powerful, not the obvious, but just those who are willing to follow him.
[00:51:40] And in the end, Jesus is rejected, abhorred by the nations, crucified, and once again the servant appears to have labored in vain.
[00:51:50] But God vindicates him.
[00:51:52] God raises him up.
[00:51:53] And the resurrection declares that Jesus was faithful all the way through his life.
[00:51:58] The light was not extinguished, but unleashed.
[00:52:02] But after his resurrection, Jesus does something unexpected.
[00:52:05] He shares the mission with his followers.
[00:52:08] He opens the scriptures to them, shows them how it always pointed to Him and His life, and then He sends them out into their communities before they go into the world, carrying not a new message, but the old one finally clarified.
[00:52:22] And at first, again, they stay close to home, right?
[00:52:25] Throughout Jerusalem and Israel, they're going to synagogues, they're speaking to other Israelites, they're retelling their story, but now centered on Jesus.
[00:52:33] Some believe, some rejoice, and others resist.
[00:52:37] The tension of Isaiah is still there.
[00:52:40] But then the gospel at some point crosses a threshold.
[00:52:43] One of my favorite stories is in Acts chapter 13.
[00:52:46] Paul and Barnabas are doing their thing, going further and further out from Jerusalem, and they reach a place called Pisidian Antioch.
[00:52:54] And as was their custom, they enter a synagogue, they are reading from the scroll, but then they start preaching a message, and Paul preaches from Abraham to Moses to King David and then to Jesus.
[00:53:04] And people are, the atmosphere is electric, what a word, what powerful words.
[00:53:08] And the Jews are saying, yes, brother, like keep going, keep preaching.
[00:53:12] But other non-Jews were there saying, you need to come back next week.
[00:53:16] You need to say this message again.
[00:53:19] And so they're like, yeah, of course.
[00:53:21] One week later, the next Sabbath, they come back.
[00:53:24] And the scriptures say that almost the whole town showed up to hear the word that day.
[00:53:31] Almost the whole city.
[00:53:33] But there, something shifts.
[00:53:36] The leaders of the synagogue and of that town see the crowds, they see the Gentiles listening, and instead of rejoicing, they grow uneasy, defensive.
[00:53:46] Actually, I think in Acts 13 it says they grew jealous.
[00:53:50] And what Isaiah described long ago is happening again.
[00:53:53] Light exposes the heart.
[00:53:56] Some will receive the light, some will reject it.
[00:54:00] But Paul and Barnabas confidently, not arrogantly or angrily, they say something with clarity.
[00:54:07] It was necessary for us to preach to you the Word of God first.
[00:54:12] But since you reject it, since you judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the Gentiles.
[00:54:20] Kind of a big mic drop moment there.
[00:54:23] But the next thing is really fascinating.
[00:54:26] He says his rationale is because the Lord has commanded us, I have called you to be a light to the nations, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.
[00:54:38] He quotes Isaiah 49.
[00:54:42] What Paul is saying and doing is that the ministry given to this servant is now our ministry.
[00:54:49] Paul does not say that that prophecy was just about Jesus and it's over.
[00:54:54] He doesn't say Israel has failed so now this new church is replacing Israel.
[00:54:59] He simply says the Lord has commanded us from the beginning.
[00:55:03] Paul is teaching not just the present people but all listeners and hearers of this story that as Jesus fulfills the servant role uniquely, the servant's mission does not stop with Jesus.
[00:55:16] The light has come into the world, but now it moves through the lives of those who have been shaped by it.
[00:55:23] And then Luke tells us how the Gentiles respond.
[00:55:27] When the Gentiles heard his words, especially the words of Isaiah, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord unto as many as were destined to become believers they believed.
[00:55:40] They rejoice, not because they are suddenly worthy, because they know they are not worthy, but through Isaiah's words, through the presentation of the gospel, they realize this is a gift meant for the world, that God has meant since the beginning of time.
[00:55:57] And they recognize the gift, and they place their hope in Christ.
[00:56:02] Isaiah's song is continuing even through the early church, not just as a song or poetry, but as fully embodied in the ministry of servanthood, ministry of following after Jesus, the servant.
[00:56:17] A people that have been changed by the light to go and serve the world as the servants of Christ, his representatives on the earth.
[00:56:25] So that's where the story leaves us.
[00:56:28] There's not with a command, there's no checklist, there's not even a neat resolution.
[00:56:32] If you follow the book of Acts all the way to the end, it just ends with Paul continuing to preach the gospel in Rome under house arrest and then the story just stops.
[00:56:42] The implication is the story is still going, still being written, a song that is still traveling.
[00:56:49] Would you say that we are far removed from the exile of Israel?
[00:56:54] Yeah.
[00:56:56] Would you say that we are far removed from the temple courts of Jerusalem in the days of King David and so on?
[00:57:02] Oh yeah.
[00:57:04] We are far removed from the dusty roads of Galilee or the synagogues of Acts.
[00:57:09] And yet this story, I believe, has something to do with us still today.
[00:57:14] Because the Word of God, I believe, is not frozen in time.
[00:57:16] It is still living.
[00:57:17] It still speaks.
[00:57:18] It is still calling out to us.
[00:57:21] Isaiah's words were never just information.
[00:57:23] It's an invitation that lives.
[00:57:25] It's an invitation that Israel had to sit with.
[00:57:30] It's an invitation that the early church had to wrestle with.
[00:57:34] And now it's an invitation that reaches us.
[00:57:36] How do we find ourselves in the song of Isaiah?
[00:57:41] What if Isaiah 49 is not only asking who the servant is, but quietly asking who will bear the light now?
[00:57:49] Again, Jesus is our Savior and our Redeemer forever and ever.
[00:57:53] Amen.
[00:57:55] We are not saviors.
[00:57:57] We are not redeemers, but we do follow the one who is.
[00:58:01] We are people who have been shaped by the Redeemer.
[00:58:04] People who have been gathered back to the Lord and reconciled.
[00:58:07] People who know what it's like to fail but to still be called.
[00:58:12] People who have learned faithfulness that doesn't always look like success.
[00:58:16] Servanthood will not look the same for everybody.
[00:58:20] Some acts will never be seen.
[00:58:21] Some words will feel small.
[00:58:23] Some obedience will feel unnoticed.
[00:58:26] But Isaiah reminds us, My reward is with the Lord.
[00:58:32] God sees.
[00:58:34] God remembers.
[00:58:35] God vindicates.
[00:58:36] And Jesus is the servant.
[00:58:38] He is the faithful one, the light of the world.
[00:58:41] But somehow, by God's grace, we are united with Him.
[00:58:46] In His death, in His life, in His resurrection.
[00:58:50] So then, what does it mean now?
[00:58:52] What does it mean here in our homes, in our work, in our neighborhoods, in our grief, in our ordinary day-to-day faithfulness?
[00:59:00] What does it mean for us to live as people who belong to the light today?
[00:59:07] Will we trust Him enough to keep following?
[00:59:10] Enough to speak up when it matters, enough to love when it costs us something.
[00:59:14] Will we trust God to use our lives, whether it's our presence, our obedience, our words, as part of how His light reaches the nations and someone else?
[00:59:26] Isaiah never answers the question for Israel.
[00:59:29] Luke never answers the question for the early church.
[00:59:33] Scripture leaves that space for us across time.
[00:59:36] Will we arise to the calling of the Lord and be servants?
[00:59:42] The song is still being sung.
[00:59:44] We are just simply standing in it.
[00:59:46] And the invitation remains for us.
[00:59:49] How will you respond today?
[00:59:52] Please pray with me.
[00:59:54] Heavenly Father, we glorify you and honor you.
[00:59:57] Jesus Christ, we thank you for modeling true servanthood of the kingdom of heaven.
[01:00:02] You came and you gave your life for us, not just us who we consider ourselves to be good and righteous, but for those who we're not, for even your enemies, because that's how great your love is, that we know is incomprehensible and knows no end.
[01:00:20] So mold our hearts, Lord, according to your heart.
[01:00:23] mold us into the the type of servant that Isaiah speaks that trusts in you that works and labors even if it's in vain trusting that you will vindicate us and that you see us Jesus we honor you and glorify you may this word take root in our hearts and challenge us Lord to answer the invitation with faithful and obedient hearts we pray all this in the holy name of Jesus and we all say

[01:00:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Church, as people of the light, let's stand to our feet this morning.
[01:00:59] And the reason we can be faithful is because we serve a God who is faithful.
[01:01:03] When we are not faithful, when we fall short, our God continues to be faithful.
[01:01:08] So let's declare these words that saints have been singing for generations, that our God is faithful.

[01:01:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Great is thy Father,
[01:01:23] O God, my Father, there is no shadow of turning with Thee Thou changest not Thy compassions, they fail not as Thou hast been
[01:02:37] For sin and a peace that endures Thy known dear presence to cheer and to guide Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
[01:03:00] and Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside Come on church let's sing Great is Thy faithfulness Great is Thy faithfulness Morning by morning new mercies I see
[01:03:31] Let's sing it again.

[01:04:14] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
I said this in the last service and I'll say it again.
[01:04:16] Isaiah is a very weird book.
[01:04:19] For those of you who venture to read it during the year-long reading plan that we always start in January, and I always get through half, and I go through the first four chapters, and I go, yeah, I'm lost.
[01:04:29] I have no idea what's happening.
[01:04:31] But Isaiah's a powerful, wonderful thing that it kind of repeats itself, that the more you read it, you'll realize, okay, he's affirming the same message.
[01:04:37] And as I dug deep into Isaiah 49, I'm seeing three questions.
[01:04:42] What did this mean for Israel?
[01:04:43] What did it mean in the light of Jesus?
[01:04:44] And what does it mean for me today?
[01:04:47] And it actually means the same thing.
[01:04:48] It's this invitation to be a servant, to serve others, to love others in the way that God has loved them.
[01:04:56] Even if you read the law and have no idea what's going on, you're seeing the heart of God.
[01:05:01] Hey, treat others fairly, love justice, love mercy, love compassion.
[01:05:05] God says, I am the Lord who is slow to anger and rich in love.
[01:05:11] But we're people, we drop the ball.
[01:05:14] At least I do.
[01:05:15] But the story is about Jesus who is the servant who models for us this is what it's like to be a light to the world and then he extends the invitation to us.
[01:05:25] Paul, every letter you'll notice he says, I am Paul, a servant of Jesus.
[01:05:30] And in that he has joy.
[01:05:33] What does it mean for you today to be servants with joy?
[01:05:37] To serve, to love one another as Christ has loved us?
[01:05:41] I can't answer that for you.
[01:05:44] And the Spirit equips you with all that you need to be able to answer that question, to answer the invitation.
[01:05:49] So, as you go forth from this place, I will use the words of Simeon as our benediction.
[01:05:56] As you depart in peace, may your eyes witness the salvation of God.
[01:06:01] That you may go and be a light to people all around you, that in you and through you, all would get to witness the glory of the world, which is Christ Jesus our Savior.
[01:06:14] and all God's people say, Amen.
[01:06:16] Go in peace my friends.